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By: Adom Malcolm Cooper | November 26, 2013 - 5:13pm

On November 18, 2013, the United Nations Security Council, acting under Chapter VII, condemned all acts of piracy committed at sea off the coast of Somalia and called upon Somali authorities “to pass a complete set of anti-piracy laws without delay.” The Security Council urged States, working with the relevant international organizations, to adopt legislation to facilitate prosecution of suspected pirates. The resolution recognized that “on-going instability in Somalia contributes to the problem of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, while piracy, in turn, exacerbates instability by introducing large amounts of illicit cash that fuels additional crime and corruption in Somalia.” Accordingly, the Security Council calls upon the Somali authorities, Member States, and regional authorities to “take part in the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea” through military action and assistance, and decided that the arms embargo on Somalia does not apply to supplies of weapons and military equipment for this purpose. The Security Council also reiterated its decision to consider establishing a specialized anti-piracy court in Somalia.